The Baby’s Birth: In a Rush, Baby?

As she is about to turn one year old, it seems appropriate to make my throwback memory The Baby’s birth.

The Baby was a few days late. I probably should not have complained about how slow she was being. She took it too seriously. I woke up early in the morning very sick. The contractions followed. The Baby was born in my bed less than an hour from the first sickness.

The Other Half called the hospital and they said to come in. I explained to The Other Half that there was definitely not time to get The Toddler up, get in the car and get to hospital. The hospital were no help. My midwife had said that, if I went into very quickly progressing labour, given that my first labour had been unusually short for a first baby, I should call an ambulance. The Other Half called an ambulance. I told The Other Half to read the section in the baby book about how to deliver a baby yourself. It later transpired that The Other Half did not actually read it, because he had apparently not grasped why I was telling him to read it. No idea what he thought was the reason – sudden inexplicable concern about his lack of reading materials?

A lovely rapid response paramedic arrived. She had never delivered a baby. She looked terrified, and kept checking on the expected arrival time of the ambulance in an increasingly panicked tone. An ambulance and three more paramedics arrived just as The Baby started to be delivered.

One of the paramedics had once delivered a baby. The others looked bemused. The birth time was recorded as under 30 seconds. The paramedics could not get a midwife to come to the house. The placenta would not deliver. No one present knew what to do about that. The placenta eventually did deliver and, in the apparent absence of any chance of getting a midwife, the paramedics decided they would have to take us to hospital.

The Toddler, aged 15 months, had been woken by the influx of paramedics. The Other Half had therefore brought her into the room. She was present for her little sister’s birth, toddling around in the background, rooting through the paramedics’ paperwork, entirely unconcerned. A paramedic gave her breakfast while I got cleaned up for hospital. She was having a great morning.

As for The Baby, now almost a year old, she is just as willful and determined to do things her own way as she was that day. Now she is the one toddling in the background, rooting through any paperwork she can get her hands on. Happy (nearly) Birthday, little girl!

Wow! I imagine that was all a tad more terrifying than it sounds here. Particularly when your other half didn’t read the book! (I was seriously considering sending mine on a crash course in midwifery pre birth just in case). But how lovely that The Toddler was present and toddling…maybe that’s why she has such a penchant for doctoring now!?

I was very shaky for quite a while afterwards (I heard a paramedic tell the midwife at hospital that he thought the placenta should be immediately checked & my obs monitored because of how uncontrollably shaky and dizzy I was – he was worried I was in toxic shock or bleeding somewhere, But, no, it was just ‘what the hell just happened??’ shock! I think baby delivery crash courses for partners is the way to go! Still, it was really lucky it was early in the morning & he wasn’t at work. Would have been awful if it had been while I was alone with Toddler during day! Yes, I bet that is where her doctoring has come from! x

Happy Birthday baby! Amazing story I’ll say again 30seconds it just seems unbelievable. Your body must be amazingly good at producing babies. Time for another? Thanks so much for linking up with #fbfriday

It seemed unbelievably to me at the time, & looking back, it still feels that way – it’s quite surreal. Yes, this is the argument OH keeps putting forward for why I should have more! However, I clearly can’t – the next one would be born in Asda or somewhere! I would have to camp outside the hospital from 37 weeks, just in case. Thanks for hosting!

Wow – that is endurance! I think I have to count myself lucky for quick labours, but ideally I think you want enough time to feel a bit prepared & be in hospital at least! I have the utmost respect for anyone who has done the induction route. I was being threatened with it towards end of second pregnancy as they were unhappy with size baby & I were measuring, and it did not sound like a fun option at all. Thanks for popping by.

Yes, I think on balance you want it over with as quickly as possible. I would prefer enough time to go to hospital ideally though! Still, quick & uncomplicated (though bad for my bedsheets) – so can’t complain! Thanks for popping by!

Eek! That is one super quick delivery, wish mine had been that speedy, mine were hours and hours, even my second labour! Thanks for sharing a memory with the #bestandworst great post to read, I love to read other peoples experiences. See you again!

Although it would be nice to have a bit of time, & be in hospital, on the whole I do feel lucky that I got away with short labours – utmost respect for all of you that had to put up with hours of it! Thanks for hosting!

Unreal!! There’s just something about reading birth stories. My first, I was pushing for 3 hours!!! My second, the whole thing was done and dusted in under 5 hours. I’m wondering what your birth story would look like for a third?? 🙂

Three hours pushing! I can’t even imagine how awful that would be! Yes, I would be very concerned if I had another – I wouldn’t dare go anywhere in case I gave birth outside or in a shop! I’d be concerned enough at home – I was so lucky it happened before OH went to work and I wasn’t alone with a 15 month old. As far as I understand it, once you’ve had one labour they class as unusually fast, you would be offered induction around 38 weeks for any other pregnancies. But I wouldn’t be keen because of the rate of interventions and sections following induction. I’m therefore taking it as evidence that I definitely am only meant to have 2! (OH, who always wanted more than 2, chooses to see it as evidence I am a baby machine & should have 20! :-D)

Loving the thought of the Toddler just pottering around in the background. ‘Don’t mind me, carry on folks.’ One hour is fast though, blimey. My second labour was pretty quick, about 3-4 hours or so, but my first stalled and it took about 36 hours in the end. Not fun. #SSAmazingAchievements

Wowsers! I do like reading birth stories and yours was impressive!
I had D at home, 6 weeks after we moved in, with T and his big bro playing football in the garden.
Pushing time was non existent and that feeling of just getting into your own bed afterwards was lovely – tiring in the next few days as we couldn’t filter visitors in the same way as hospital visiting hours – but lovely.
Thanks for linking up with #SSAmazingAchievements

Wow you top my birth story where daddy completely misses the birth! Not through it being quick but him being ill! You are a very brave lady. It sounds like a very exciting morning. I love that the paramedic gave your toddler her breakfast x

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